Aqua Fons Vitae - 03 2020

Summary
INITIAL MEDITATION ..........................................................................................................................2
PRESENTATION AND PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT ................................................................4
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................8
Background ..............................................................................................................................................8
Methodological clarifications .................................................................................................................10
RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF WATER........................................................................................13
A religious value ....................................................................................................................................13

A socio-cultural and aesthetic value.......................................................................................................14
An institutional value and a value for peace ..........................................................................................14
An economic value.................................................................................................................................16
Clarifications about the so-called privatization of water........................................................................16
FIRST DIMENSION: WATER FOR HUMAN USE............................................................................20
Challenges ..............................................................................................................................................20
Operational proposals: awareness and advocacy ...................................................................................24
Operational proposals: commitment at local level .................................................................................28
SECOND DIMENSION: WATER AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES .......................................................31
Challenges ..............................................................................................................................................31
THIRD DIMENSION: WATER AS SPACE .........................................................................................36
Challenges ..............................................................................................................................................36
EDUCATION AND INTEGRITY ..........................................................................................................41
Education for a new humanism and for a culture of encounter and collaboration about water .............41
Fighting against corruption and violence about water ...........................................................................43
REFERENCES FROM THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE CHURCH .........................................45
1
I. INITIAL MEDITATION
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development proposes the following meditation1 as the
starting point of these orientations.
***
1. O God, who by invisible power accomplish a wondrous effect through sacramental signs and who
in many ways have prepared water, your creation, to show forth the grace of baptism and to be a source of
life, when you pronounced your words at the creation “Let the water teem with living creatures” (Gn.
1:20), may you help us, human beings, to reject indifference and to recover an awareness of our common
origin, of our mutual belonging.
Laudato si’ (Praise be to you) our Creator God!
2. At the very dawn of creation your Spirit hovered over the waters, so that the very substance of
water would take to itself the power to sanctify. Even by the flood you foreshadowed regeneration and the
baptism so that, today as then, water marks the end of sin, and the beginning of new life. Of this gift of
creation you made a sign of your goodness: through the waters of the Red Sea you freed your people from
slavery; the flood was an invitation to repentance and to conversion; in the desert you brought forth a
spring to quench the thirst of your people; with the image of living water the prophets foreshadowed the
new covenant that you wanted to give humanity. In the fullness of time, your Son, baptized by John in the
water of the River Jordan, was consecrated by the Holy Spirit. Even today, for us Christians, water
represents an essential element of purification and of life, and we think immediately of Baptism, the
sacrament of our rebirth in Christ. By means of the water made holy by the Spirit you give us life and
renew us; it is the blessed source of undying life. Jesus, in the course of his mission, promised a water
capable of quenching human thirst for ever (cf. Jn. 4:14) and prophesied “Let anyone who is thirsty come
to me and drink” (Jn. 7:37). To drink from Jesus means to encounter him personally in prayer and
contemplation as the Lord, drawing from his words the meaning of life. Therefore, from an eschatological
point of view, contemplation also leads us to the “river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from
the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Ap. 22:1). May the words he spoke from the cross – “I thirst” (Jn.
19:28) – echo constantly in our hearts. O God, may you bring forth in all hearts the water of eternal life.
3. Through water (let us think of rivers, groundwater, rain and seas) you invite us to reflect on our
origins. In considering the fundamental role of water in creation and in human development, we feel the
need to thank You with Francis of Assisi for “sister water”, simple and useful for life like nothing else on
our planet. The great waters and all that they contain (cf. Jn. 1:20-21; Sal. 146:6; Sal. 104:6) speak the
language of boundlessness, of your infinite power (cf. Sir. 39: 17) and wisdom, of the expanse that unites
1
Meditation inspired by the blessing of the baptismal water and the liturgy of Holy Saturday, from the Message of
Pope Francis for the Day of prayer for the care of Creation on 1 September 2018, from the Catechesis on Divine
Providence of 7 May 1986 and from the Homily of Saint John Paul II given during the celebration of the Word with
the people of the sea in Gdynia on 11 June 1987.
2
the destinies of all the continents. May we ponder the immense open seas and their incessant movement,
since it also represents an opportunity to turn our thoughts to you, who constantly accompany your
creation, guiding its course and sustaining its existence and calling us to responsible solidarity with the
whole creation and with each other, through the generations. When “nature-based solutions” are
envisaged, may we be reminded that you are the Creator of nature and understand the wisdom of the
biblical accounts2.
4. The Lord continues to ask that his thirst be quenched; he thirsts for love. He asks us to give him to
drink in all those who thirst in our own day, and to say through them, “I was thirsty and you gave me to
drink” (Mt. 25: 35). May we understand that the way we respect and share water is an indicator of how we
are carrying out the mission you have entrusted us with, in Genesis, of taking care of the earthly garden.
Laudato si’ our Creator God!
2
Cf. Francis, Encyclical Letter Laudato si’, § 62-69.
3
II. PRESENTATION AND PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT
5. The document Aqua fons vitae is rooted in the teaching of the Popes and inspired by the
reflections and experiences of members of national and local Churches, over centuries. Many dioceses,
congregations, Caritas organizations, Justice and Peace Commissions, associations of lay people, catholic
schools and universities are very actively committed to the promotion of human dignity and the realization
of an authentic integral development, particularly in poor and deprived areas, even where Catholics are a
minority. In view of the challenges raised by the crisis of the COVID-19, and in the light of the magisterial
teaching about the interconnectedness of everything3, be it ecological, economic, political and social, we
are called to consider all the elements which contribute to elaborating a new paradigm for a new
development model. The consideration of water, in this sense, clearly appears to be one of the elements
that heavily impacts ‘integral’ and ‘human’ development.
6. The common good promoted and pursued by the Church is not some particular national agenda,
but “the sum total of the social conditions which allow people, either groups or individuals, to reach their
fulfilment more fully and more easily”4. These conditions undoubtedly include “a safe environment”5,
access to healthcare, sanitation as well as access to potable water. Therefore, these conditions also imply a
management of water so as to ensure universal and sustainable access to it, for the future of life, the planet
and the human community.
7. To ensure the availability of water to all, as a primary good, demands personal and common
gestures of respect and charity, concrete choices and policies which contribute to promoting and to
realizing the right to life. Taking care of springs, water basins and seas is an urgent imperative. However,
it is not enough to take care of these, simply to avoid fines or to appear eco-friendly. It is of ultimate
importance to respect the intrinsic value of water, in every context. The wells, according to the Bible, have
been created so that the deep and invisible groundwater can be shared among all, men and women,
inhabitants and foreigners (Cf. Gn. 24: 10-22; Gn. 29: 1-10; Jn. 4: 7; Ex. 2: 15-17). Thus, water appears as
an effective way of uniting the human family; and wells contribute to the realization of the principle of the
universal destination of the created goods, water being such a created and common good.
8. Today, more than ever, we need to look beyond immediate concerns and beyond purely utilitarian
views of reality. According to this utilitarian approach, efficiency and productivity are geared to the self-
serving profit of small interest groups. The human dignity of so many people is disregarded, since they do
not seem to be a primary concern for policies, infrastructures and investments. We urgently need long-
term shared projects, supported by valid ethical references, a healthy anthropology, and genuine
motivations. Water management can find a strong inspiration in the Catholic Social Teaching, especially,
3
Cf. Laudato si’, § 70, 138 and 240.
4
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 2004, §164.
5
Saint John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace 1990, § 9.
4
in papal contributions about human dignity, solidarity, justice, universal destination of goods, subsidiarity,
common good, integral ecology and integral human development, and the priority of option for the poor.
9. The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development thus prepared this reflection to offer
local Churches operational suggestions on the issue of water, development and the future of human life on
Earth. The encounter with Jesus Christ and his teaching have social implications: “Be doers of the Word,
and not hearers only (…) What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no
deeds?”6. Each Eucharistic Mystery compels us towards this same social responsibility7. Christians cannot
think of “the intellect as separate from the flesh, and thus become incapable of touching Christ’s suffering
flesh in others”8. The acceptance of the Gospel is an incentive and a motivation to anticipate, during our
life on Earth, the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is a gift and, precisely because of this, it is great
and beautiful, and constitutes the response to our hope. We cannot – to use the classical expression –
‘merit’ Heaven through our works: Heaven is always more than we could merit, just as being loved is
never something ‘merited’, but always a gift. However, even when we are fully aware that Heaven far
exceeds what we can merit, it will always be true that our behaviour is not indifferent before God, and
therefore is not indifferent for the unfolding of history. It is not the proper and primary task of the Church
to take upon herself the political battle to build justice and just social order. As some suggest or joke
about, the Church does not have the task of replacing governments or the United Nations. Yet, she cannot
and must not remain on the side lines, in the fight for justice. Evangelical principles cannot and must not
remain abstract, but need to be oriented towards concrete action and call upon each person9. The Church is
singularly able to enhance the fight for justice because it can marshal the forces of good. Church members
and organizations can reach, inform and promote the wellbeing of those who are considered ‘unreachable’
by public authorities or are ‘discarded’ by “an economy which excludes and kills”10.Thus, in the Bull of
Indiction of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy (2015), Pope Francis described this social mission for the
faithful: “This Holy Year will bring to the fore the richness of Jesus’ mission echoed in the words of the
prophet: to bring a word and gesture of consolation to the poor, to proclaim liberty to those bound by new
forms of slavery in modern society, to restore sight to those who can see no more because they are caught
up in themselves, to restore dignity to all those from whom it has been robbed. The preaching of Jesus is
made visible once more in the response of faith which Christians are called to offer by their witness”11.
10. Saint Pope John Paul II saw the mission of the Church, rich and complex as it is, as intimately
connected with that of Christ, and summed it up as her “central task of reconciling people with God; with
6
Letter of James, 1: 22; 2: 14.
7
Cf. Benedict XVI, Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, § 89-92.
8
Francis, Exhortation Gaudete et exsultate, § 37; Message of Lent 2020, § 4.
9
Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Deus caritas est, § 20, 26-31; Id., Encyclical Letter Spe salvi, § 35; Francis,
Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, § 177-184 ; Id., Laudato sì, § 64, 200; Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the
Church, 2044, § 62-84.
10
Cf. Evangelii gaudium, § 53.
11
Francis, Misericordiae vultus, Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, §16.
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themselves, with neighbour and with the whole creation; and this in a permanent manner …”12. Pope
Francis has relaunched these four levels of reconciliation or just relations and proposed as a model the
figure of Saint Francis of Assisi “who lived with simplicity and in a wonderful harmony with God, with
others, with nature and with himself”13. The actions provided in this document are aimed at promoting just
relations with our brothers and sisters and with nature, especially through and with water. We therefore
offer this work to accompany reflection, dialogue and action on water and its management.
11. At the same time, we would like to reaffirm that the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human
Development, in accordance with its “Statutes”14 and in the light of the principle of subsidiarity, is at the
disposal of all members of the Church who want to work on these issues and contribute to addressing the
challenges of a subject matter which Pope Francis refers to as the “dream made of water”15. When Pope
Francis treated this subject matter in his post-synodal Exhortation, Querida Amazonia, he knew that his
observations applied to other areas of the world with similar challenges16.
12. This Dicastery also dialogues and collaborates with organizations outside the Church. Thus,
although Aqua fons vitae was written with local and national Churches in mind, we hope that some of the
ideas contained in this document can be considered at some of the upcoming international events, such as
the United Nations Ocean Conference, initially scheduled to take place in Portugal (June 2020), the next
World Water Forum, scheduled to take place in Senegal (March 2021), the World Water Weeks, organized
annually in Sweden, as well as on the occasion of water-related work of the United Nations and
Governmental Agencies, such as human rights and sustainable development, peace-building, climate
change, biodiversity, desertification, migrations, labour, health and nutrition, the law of the sea and other
maritime issues.
13. Our last remark is a message of hope and responsibility, inspired by what some may call the
regenerative virtue of water. Water is a symbol of regeneration because it is the drink we constantly need;
it cleanses and constantly restores life. It may be abused, rendered unusable and unsafe, polluted and
dissipated, but the sheer necessity of it for life, human, animal and plant, requires us, in our different
capacities as religious leaders, policy-makers and legislators, economic actors and businessmen, rural
subsistent farmers and industrial farmers etc., to jointly show responsibility and exercise care for our
common home. So, trusting in our capacity to dialogue, ever newly, not discounting any talent, role and
involvement, we respond to the urgent appeal of Pope Francis “for a new dialogue about how we are
shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the
12
St. John Paul II, post-synodal Exhortation Reconciliatio et paenitentia, § 8.
13
Laudato si’, § 10.
14
Francis, Statutes of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, 2016.
15
Post-synodal Exhortation Querida Amazonia, § 43.
16
Cf. Idem, § 5 and 11.
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environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all”17. In this, the
regenerative virtue of water can inspire and motivate everybody and all of us.
From the Vatican, Ash Wednesday 2020, and in view of the next World Water Day, Sunday 22 March.
Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson
Prefect
Mons. Bruno-Marie Duffé
Secretary
17
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III. INTRODUCTION
Background
14. Aqua fons vitae, “Water is a source of life”, and is vital for all forms of life. This statement which
rightly recognizes the essential role of water in the origin and conservation of life on Earth inspired the
title of the contributions prepared by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace as the representative of
the Holy See in the World Water Forums held in 2003 (Kyoto), 2006 (Mexico City), 2009 (Istanbul) and
2012 (Marseille). Subsequently, the Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ has again highlighted the issue of
water18; and, since its publication, the Holy Father has not missed an occasion to draw attention to the
great significance of water for human civilization19.
15. Such insistence on water from the Holy Father and the Holy See:
 reflects the attention and multifaceted commitment of the Holy See and of the Catholic Church
to this issue;
 demonstrates that water is a largely cross-cutting element, and affects the achievement of the
common good of the entire human family and of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
adopted by the United Nations in 2015;
 supports non-State organisations, public administrations and individuals that already act
responsibly, at a local, national and international level, towards the management of water as a
common good, and at the same time pushes those who can and should do more;
 arises from the awareness that there are still distressing situations regarding access to drinkable
water, access to sanitation, water-borne diseases, water pollution, wastewater treatment, water as
a means of exercising pressure in situations of political or economic tension and conflict; this
appears to be particularly serious since:
o for some time, we have advanced in the technical, logistical, legal and organisational
requirements to provide drinking water and guarantee sanitation to all;
o for some time now, access to drinking water and sanitation has been, at least in words, a
priority of international and many countries’ agenda;
 reaffirms that water-related problems, which are complex and often interconnected, are due to
the absence of just and adequate relationships with God, with others, with nature and with one’s
self20 and not to accidental economic or environmental factors. These problems will not be
18
Cf. Laudato si’, § 27-31.
19
Cf. Message on the occasion of the Conference “The Management of a common asset: access to drinkable water
for all” held at the Pontifical Urban University on 8 November 2018; Address during the Workshop “The human
right to water” held at the Vatican on 24 February 2017; Message for the World Day of Prayer for the care of
Creation, 1 September 2018; Message on the occasion of World Water Day, 22 March 2019; Message signed by
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on behalf of the Holy Father to the Budapest Water Summit held in Hungary, October 2019.
20
Cf. Laudato si’, § 10.
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solved by themselves, nor can they be overlooked: they must be addressed deeply, with justice,
determination, solidarity and subsidiarity;
 expresses concern about the slow progress with respect to the realisation of the universal human
right to safe drinking water and sanitation which, almost 10 years after the well-known
Resolution 64/292 of the United Nations General Assembly, remains merely declaratory, and not
even so in certain States;
 also joins the concern expressed by the United Nations about the fact that the world is not
heading towards the achievement of SDG 6 (Ensure the availability and sustainable management
of water and sanitation for all) by 203021.
16. There is plenty of water on planet Earth. Just think of the huge and deep oceans. Saltwater is
usually estimated to represent about 97.5% of total water resources, and fresh water only 2.5%. Out of this
body of fresh water, about 98,8% is found in glaciers and in the subsoil, and the remaining 1,2%
represents the water in the atmosphere and in living beings, as well as fresh water easily accessible to
humans in lakes, swamps and rivers. This small percent of easily accessible fresh water sufficed to
respond to the world population’s total requirement at the beginning of the 21st century. That said:
 both fresh water and the human population are not distributed evenly on the planet;
 the development of irrigated industrial agriculture, the production of energy, economic

development as well as demographic growth and improvement of standards of living in recent
decades have significantly increased the demand for fresh water in many countries;
 easily accessible fresh water must not be mistaken for drinkable water, since most fresh water is
not suitable for human consumption and this is partly due to pollution by human activities which
are increasingly deteriorating the quality of numerous water resources;
 particularly problematic situations have arisen or become accentuated as regards the ratio of
population and fresh water available in a given place, and various countries consume a high
percentage of fresh water renewable in nature every year (thus reaching high thresholds of so-
called “water stress”22 and being potentially threatened by water shortage), often with limited or
no wastewater treatment;
 the World Water Development Report 2020 focuses on “Water and Climate Change”. Indeed,
there is a close relationship between climate and water resources because the changes in
temperature, precipitation and snowmelt can cause changes in seasonal and spatial distribution of
water, causing floods and droughts. Climate changes and new patterns of vulnerability exhibits
their impact also through water: too little, too much, too erratic. All three heavily affect the
21
United Nations, Sustainable Development Goal 6, Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2018, New York
2018, pp. 21 and 84.
22
United Nations, The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019, New York 2019, p. 35.
9
poorest populations having limited possibilities for adaptation23, limited possibilities to manage
the variability of water.
Methodological clarifications
17. ‘Water’ is a subject that calls attention to several challenges for the human family. It should be
noted that, although everything is related, this document – after a chapter dedicated do the value of water –
distinguishes three dimensions of water:
 water for human use;
 water as a resource used in many human activities, especially farming, crafts and industry, the
use of which must, however, not be made to the detriment of human use;
 water as a space: rivers, underground aquifers, lakes and above all seas and oceans. This third
dimension leads us to consider the fascinating role of the natural cycle of water in the protection
of life in general and in the functioning of biomes 24, at the service of biodiversity, in climate, in
transport and in fishing.
These dimensions are examined in the following chapters, each divided into a first part consisting of a
brief analysis of the challenges (the challenges that are listed do not exist everywhere all the time), and a
second part dedicated to operational proposals. This second part is in turn divided into: 1- proposals that
mainly concern the area of political consciousness or advocacy and dialogue with institutions; 2- proposals
that mainly concern pastoral care and concrete action, possibly also within the buildings and initiatives of
the Church herself, because it is important to be coherent and set an example, since the Church must also
assert her responsibility in the public sphere25.
18. Certainly, the commitment of the Church can vary depending on:
 whether or not in the country there are at least some of the many Church organisations with
consolidated experience in working for social justice and/or the care of creation, which usually
act in collaboration with other actors as well (civil society in the broad sense, administrations,
entities of other Churches or other religions, actors in the sector of education, economy,
culture,…);
 whether or not Bishops can easily dialogue with public administrations;
 whether people’s contact with water is more distant and mediated (e.g. highly urbanized and
industrial areas) or more direct (e.g. small islands, agricultural and coastal areas);
23
Cf. UN Water, Climate Change Adaptation: the Pivotal Role of Water, Policy Brief, 2010.
24
“Biome” indicates a vast region of the world characterized by certain climate, certain flora and fauna (for example
the steppe, the tropical rainforest).
25
Cf. Caritas in veritate, § 51.
10
 whether or not it is possible for the Church to cooperate (at local, national as well as
transboundary levels) with other people and partners, both for the implementation of concrete
projects and for monitoring or advocacy initiatives, such as:
o youth associations and groups, other civil society associations, strategies for sustainable
development adopted by governments, cities, trade unions, universities or companies
committed to sustainable development;
o other Christian denominations or even other religions, since:
 dialogue is necessary and the concrete problems concerning coexistence and shared
responsibility for justice and peace should be addressed jointly26, and “we believers
need to find occasions to speak to one another and to act together for the common
good and the promotion of the poor. This has nothing to do with watering down or
concealing our deepest convictions when we encounter others who think differently
than ourselves. If we believe that the Holy Spirit can work amid differences, then we
will try to let ourselves be enriched by that insight, while embracing it from the core
of our own convictions and our own identity. For the deeper, stronger and richer that
identity is, the more we will be capable of enriching others with our own proper
contribution”27;
 it is therefore particularly meaningful, for believers, to cooperate in the case of

transboundary shared waters: for example the inhabitants of the Amazon basin, the
riparian communities dwelling along the banks of many long rivers, the shoreline
communities surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, the African Great Lakes, the Baltic
Sea, the Black Sea among others, since by “its very configuration, [a] sea forces
surrounding peoples and cultures to constant interact, to recall what they have in
common, and to realize that only by living in concord can they enjoy the
opportunities this region offers”28;
 whether or not water occupies a special place in customs, legends, social life and more generally
in the culture of the place, as well as in religious practices. These are elements that the Church
needs to consider in her process of inculturation: “she constantly reshapes her identity through
listening and dialogue with the people, the realities and the history of the lands in which she
finds herself. In this way, she is able to engage increasingly in a necessary process of
inculturation”29, understanding the history, the situation and the hope of each region, country and
26
Cf. Benedict XVI, Address on the occasion of Christmas greetings to the Roman Curia, 21 December 2012.
27
Querida Amazonia, § 106.
28
Francis, Address during the meeting with Bishops of the Mediterranean, Bari, 23 February 2020.
29
Querida Amazonia, § 66; cf. Evangelii gaudium, § 115-118.
11
community, avoiding oversimplification and refraining from resolving all problems through
uniform recipes30.
19. It will always be appropriate to accompany and prepare any commitment with adequate and
continuous education. This topic is deeply related to integrity, and is addressed in the last chapter. Finally,
this document refers deliberately to a limited number of documents (footnotes), many of which are
available online, and is accompanied by a selection of relevant links available on the website of the
Dicastery.
30
Cf. Caritas in veritate, § 22; Laudato si’, § 144 and 180.
12
IV. RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF WATER
20. According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, water is a common good, the adequate
management of which contributes to the realisation of the common good of the entire human family. It is
true that aqua fons vitae, “water is a source of life”. The survival and health of human beings depend
directly on water, and so does the production of food, energy and many consumer goods. The Earth’s
biodiversity, the functioning of the various biomes and of the atmosphere, the cycles of water and climate
remind us of how versatile and fundamental this precious creature of God is. When astronomers observe
space to identify and study other planets, they often note that there is no apparent trace of water, an
indispensable element for life as we know it on Earth: not all the planets have this precious gift that was
the cradle of life. A fortiori, we should thus be more aware of its multifaceted value.
A religious value
21. This Dicastery, repeating the words of Pope Francis, invites “to reflect on the symbolism of water
in the main religious traditions”, and likewise urges “to contemplate this resource that, as Saint Francis of
Assisi wrote, is multo utile et humile et preziosa et casta (very useful and humble and precious and
chaste)”31. It is fascinating to trace the value of water in the Old Testament – the act of creation at the
beginning of Genesis, the water that purifies or that is a sign of blessing and fertile land, or even the
punishment caused by drought or deluge – and in the New Testament. There are many connections
between water and healing (cf. 2 Kings 5:8-14; Jn. 5:2-4; Jn. 9:6-11). Although precious, water does not
completely quench thirst, and serves Jesus to teach that man cannot be limited to his material needs (cf. Jn.
4:13-14; Jn. 7:37-38).
22. It is equally fascinating to study and understand the role of water in the life and tradition of the
Church. Think for example of the sacrament of baptism first of all – it cleanses from sins and gives a new
birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit – and then of liturgical and devotional gestures such as the
sprinkling with holy water, the liturgy of the night of Holy Saturday, the lasting connections between
water and healing (for example in Lourdes), the presence of the source of water at the entrance of many
churches to make the sign of the cross, and finally the pilgrimages to Lourdes or to the banks of the
Jordan. Water is “a symbol that touches the deepest experience of humanity, which indicates a
transcendent value. Consider that, for example, the fundamental text of Hebrew-Christian faith, the Bible,
has 1500 verses bathed by water, in which water is spoken about. (…) There is a striking element in the
heart of the Old Testament’s language, Hebrew: a single word in Hebrew, nefesh, indicates at the same
time the throat and the soul, the living being”32. There is a deep connection between the thirsty throat and
the soul that needs the infinite, the eternal.
31
Cf. Message on the occasion of the Conference “The Management of a common asset: access to drinkable water
for all” held at the Pontifical Urban University on 8 November 2018.
32
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, Address at the Augustinianum during the Watershed Conference, 22 March 2017.
13
23. This is not the right place to analyse more deeply these elements of the Biblical and Christian
tradition. It will suffice to recall that water has a ‘religious value’, which can be a motivation33 for its
respectful and sober use. This is not limited to Hebrew and Christian traditions. In many religions, water
has been and is still perceived as holy and connected to divinities and their benevolence. The Nile, the
Ganges, and the well of Zamzam are eloquent examples, among many others. And there is very often a
fountain at the entrance of a religious building for ritual purification.
A socio-cultural and aesthetic value

24. Water also has a ‘socio-cultural value’. Let us not forget the fundamental role of water in driving
the development of numerous civilisations: just think of people’s relationship with rivers, lakes and seas,
human settlements, toponymy, and how they can inspire literature, music and more generally artistic
expression. Water is a carrier of the collective memory of humanity. “The various arts, and poetry in
particular, have found inspiration in (…) water (…). Those poets, contemplatives and prophets, help free
us from the technocratic and consumerist paradigm that destroys nature and robs us of a truly dignified
existence”34. Pope St. John Paul II noticed that “the aesthetic value of creation cannot be overlooked. Our
very contact with nature has a deep restorative power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts peace
and serenity. (…) The relationship between a good aesthetic education and the maintenance of a healthy
environment cannot be overlooked”35. This applies particularly well to water, a source of beauty and
wonder.
25. This cultural dimension also involves daily life with its customs, as well as the navigation and
cultural exchanges between civilizations. Farming activities and fishing are a primary source of sustenance
for many populations, and these activities shape local social and cultural cohesion. Hospitality gestures
(cf. Gn. 24:32), moments of public life and propitiatory rites make use of water sprinkling, and again
water (fresh or saltwater) is at the centre of commemorations (such as the celebration of the season of rains
or monsoon festivals in some countries) and many recreational and sports activities.
An institutional value and a value for peace

26. Water is a connector36 and we can therefore speak of an ‘institutional value’ of water, as well as of
a ‘value of water for peace’, since water is an element that drives the creation of bridges, collaborations
and dialogue. Also, think of the role of the well in the social life of Moses (cf. Exodus 2:15) and of Jesus
(cf. Jn. 4:5-15). With Abraham, wells, which were a point of contention, could become the object that
triggers negotiation, agreement, development and sharing (cf. Gn. 21:19-30), as it was also for Isaac (cf.
Gn. 26:12-22). Therefore, addressing water scarcity and improving water management, especially by
33
“Motivation” is a cross-cutting concern of the Encyclical Letter Laudato si’, cf. § 15, 17, 64 and 200.
34
Querida Amazonia, § 35 and 46.
35
Message for the World Day of Peace 1990, § 14.
36
Cf. Final document of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme “The Amazon: New Paths for the
Church and for Integral Ecology”, 26 October 2019, § 7 and 20.
14
communities, can help create greater social cohesion and solidarity. The ways in which water is managed
in many rural areas implies a high involvement for local communities; for example, when it comes to the
decision to dig a well or the choice about how to use or share a source of water, the possibility to access a
specific fishing area, to tap a given quantity of water from a river (generally, establishing a certain water
tenure regime). Community management and the frequent presence of various committees in charge of
settling disputes (if not a real court37) is an important part of social life and contributes to empowering the
population, probably more than it occurs in cases where the management necessarily takes place at a
higher level (e.g. basin level management, private or public companies managing water in large cities)
thus bringing up the challenging reality of how multiple communities interact with ‘the whole’.
27. Moreover, fresh waters, both surface and groundwater, are largely transboundary38. Just think of
how much peace would be gained if countries could collaborate for water in various areas of the world
more than is currently the case. In critical situations, tension among competing parties over access to
water, its uses, and allocation can lead “to outright conflict that can become violent if not adequately
addressed. While water is very rarely the single – and seldom the major – cause of conflict between or
within nations, it does have the potential to exacerbate existing tensions as well as to impede progress
toward resolving already existing broader conflicts”39. Consequently, well-proven transboundary water
cooperation mechanisms are an important feature of peace and of the prevention of armed conflicts. Joint
river mechanisms and commissions established by water agreements may foster communication and
dialogue, thus improving relationships among groups beyond their usual role of facilitating a joint
management of the water resources. A body of norms enshrined in treaties and customs applies to
internationally shared rivers, lakes, seas, basins, and groundwater resources40. These approaches – oriented
towards mutual understanding, sharing information, searching and implementing solutions together –
constitute the so-called ‘water diplomacy’41.
37
It is worth noting that in 2009 two Spanish tribunals in charge of settling conflicts between irrigators were entered
by UNESCO in the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
38
“Across the world, 153 countries share rivers, lakes and aquifers. Transboundary basins cover more than half of
the Earth’s land surface, account for an estimated 60 per cent of global freshwater flow and are home to more than 40
per cent of the world’s population”, United Nations and UNESCO, Progress on Transboundary Water Cooperation.
Global baseline for SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2018, p. 9. “Only 84 of these basins have joint water management bodies,
and many of these are not considered effective. The number of shared aquifers without joint management bodies –
more than 400 – is significantly higher”, Global High-Level Panel of Water and Peace, Report A matter of Survival,
Geneva 2017, p. 14.
39
Catholic Relief Services, Water and Conflict. Incorporating peacebuilding into water development, Baltimore
2009, p. viii.
40
Cf. Report A matter of Survival, pp. 33 and 77; The Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of
Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, Decision VI/3 “Accession by non-United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe countries”, 2003.
41
Cf. Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Policy Brief Water diplomacy: facilitating dialogues, July
2019.
15
An economic value
28. In many cases access to water suitable for drinking (as well as for other uses including agriculture,
building and industry), its supply and transport, processing and purification operations have a cost. It is
therefore right to acknowledge “its role in production and thus in economy” 42, and to acknowledge that
water has an ‘economic value’. Such acknowledgements can be used to:
 encourage all users to constantly seek the smallest negative impact on the environment,
underscoring how much humanity loses by not respecting nature, and how much it would gain
by protecting it, starting from the assumption that frequently, as long as something is not
measured and quantified, nobody takes it into account, and nobody cares about it;
 provide economic criteria, useful in calculating and planning investments and incentives 43; much
can be achieved by applying benefit cost analysis of water management, identifying trade-offs,
and being transparent with them along with subsidies;
 understand that there often is a connection between filtering and purification: enhancing the
wastewater treatment reduces pollution and consequently the need for filtering in future
withdrawals;
 stimulate water saving if the principle of total costs coverage (including environmental costs) is
applied, especially for intensive and polluting uses;
 illustrate how much humanity loses by not respecting nature (costs generated by massive water
pollution, from improved filtering and treatment to medical expenditures), and how much it
would gain by protecting it, starting from the assumption that, as long as something is not
measured and quantified, nobody cares about it. However, this assumption can be misleading
and while considering what is quantifiable, we should not neglect key elements that are more
difficult to measure, such as the happy and meaningful life a community can achieve also thanks
to adequate access to water.
Clarifications about the so-called privatization of water

29. “An overly commercial concept of water sometimes persists with the risk of mistakenly
considering it like any other commodity and planning investments according to the criteria of profit for
profit’s sake”44. Pope Francis wrote: “even as the quality of available water is constantly diminishing, in
some places there is a growing tendency (…) to privatize this resource, turning it into a commodity subject
to the laws of the market”45. This should not be interpreted as referring only to drinkable water. It is a
42
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Water, an essential element for life, Contribution of the Holy See to the
3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto in March 2003.
43
Cf. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Land and Food, LEV, Vatican City 2015, p. 94.
44
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Water, an essential element for life. Designing sustainable solutions. An
update, A contribution of the Holy See to the 6th World Water Forum held in Marseille in March 2012.
45
16
more general comment. Laudato si’ is warning against some economic theories and against the attitude of
some actors (companies, investors, politicians) that may consider or manage water as a mere commodity
that can be owned, grabbed and controlled, consumed and traded de facto, denying that water is an
essential element for life, meant for the entire humanity. “Water is being treated as though it were
merchandise that could be traded by companies, and has been transformed into a good for which powerful
nations compete”46. This ‘tendency to privatize’ water is manifest if and when:
 human rights, human dignity and the integral development of societies are disregarded;
 the profit of a small group is prioritized with detrimental effects for the common good of society
and for the public interest;
 environmental sustainability is disregarded;
 public control is absent or inadequate;
 there is a lack of transparency, of accountability, and access to justice is not granted;
 the poorest and most disadvantaged groups are excluded from the access to water (even at the
level of a vital minimum linked to human dignity and survival) because they are unable to pay a
tariff or because they are being discriminated and threatened by those controlling water;
 water-related investments are not made in the areas (e.g. remote rural areas) and for the
operations (e.g. maintenance) that are perceived as being not profitable.
30. It must be recognized that any attempt to reflect the economic value of water through a market
system or a tariff is not by itself enough to universally achieve the right to safe drinking water, to
encourage water savings, and does not prevent negligent users from polluting water if those who consume
and pollute much water are still able to get a significant financial benefit and are not held accountable for
the consequences of these actions. Moreover, the cost or tariff that any market or supplier (be it public or
private) may adopt for water (including trading water rights for irrigation, and the market of bottled water)
will never measure up to the worthy usefulness and essentiality of water (it is invaluable), nor can it be an
obstacle to universal access to water as a right, especially for poor populations for drinking and for
personal hygiene47, cooking, and, where necessary, also for small subsistence irrigation (domestic uses).
31. Saint John Paul II had already affirmed that all people shall have access to the water indispensable
for their needs, in adequate levels48, and “Catholic social thought has always stressed that the defence and
preservation of certain common goods, such as the natural and human environments, cannot be
46
Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops’ Conferences, Final Document, Aparecida
29 June 2007, § 84.
47
Many diseases can be prevented or controlled through appropriate personal hygiene and by frequently washing
parts of the body with soap and clean water, but “in 2017, some 60 per cent of people worldwide and only 38 per
cent in least developed countries had a basic handwashing facility with soap and water at home, leaving an estimated
3 billion people without basic handwashing facilities at home”, United Nations,
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg6
48
Cf. Message on the occasion of the World Food Day, 13 October 2002.
17
safeguarded simply by market forces, since they touch on fundamental human needs which escape market
logic (…). Being at the service of its citizens, the State is the steward of the people’s resources which it
must administer with a view to the common good”49. This is why we should not mentally or politically
prepare a massive and lasting ‘tendency to privatize’ (as previously described) of the water resources 50 in
favour of the investors capable and tempted of doing it.
32. Certainly, water operations involving a variety of actors and processes have a cost, and water has
an economic value – as stated above. The Holy See has not asserted that private companies (whether big
or small businesses) should not play any role in the water sector51. A variety of private-public partnerships
exist, but “private sector participation does not relieve governments of their responsibility” 52 in this
domain, including preventing abuses caused by monopoly position. On the contrary, public authorities
must always guarantee through adequate legislation and monitoring that private companies follow virtuous
and transparent practices, and that water maintains its universal destination in conformity with the
demands of the common good and in pursuit of the ‘public interest’ as recommended by the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and by the group of Judges gathered during the 8 th
World Water Forum in Brasilia53. It should be noted as a sign of hope that the 2030 Agenda reaffirms “the
human right to safe drinkable water and sanitation”54. This said, SDG 6.1 does not speak of legal ‘right’
but of “universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water”, while the terminology of
‘right’ is used elsewhere in the SDGs55. Nonetheless, “the Holy See reads (…) Goal 6 as including the
right to water”56.
33. Another concern can be expressed about the fate of some marine areas that have been traditionally
used by local fishers, without exhausting fish stocks and without dealing major damage to the
environment. “Customary practices for the allocation and sharing of resource benefits in small-scale
fisheries, which may have been in place for generations, have been changed as a result of non-
participatory and often centralized fisheries management systems, rapid technology developments (…).
Small-scale fishing communities also commonly suffer from unequal power relations”57. Powerful
49
Water, an essential element for life, Contribution of the Holy See to the 3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto in
March 2003; cf. Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus annus, § 40.
50
Cf. Land and Food, p. 94; Final document of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme “The
Amazon: New Paths for the Church and for Integral Ecology”, 26 October 2019, § 10.
51
Cf. Water, an essential element for life, Contribution of the Holy See of the Holy See to the 3 rd World Water
Forum held in Kyoto in March 2003; Water, an essential element for life. Designing sustainable solutions. An
52
Cf. OECD, Meeting the Challenge of Financing Water and Sanitation. Tools and approaches, Paris 2011, p. 131.
53
OECD, OECD Principles on Water Governance, 2015, Principle 7; Brasilia Declaration of Judges on Water
Justice, 21 March 2018, principle 1.
54
Cf. Resolution A/RES/70/1 of the United Nations General Assembly of 25 September 2015, § 7.
55
Cf. SDG 5.6.
56
Note of the Holy See regarding the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, 25 September 2016, § 21.
57
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Preface of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing
Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, Rome 2015, p. x.
18
economic actors may look for and obtain maritime concessions for new activities, related for example to
tourism, aquaculture, energy production, extraction of sand and of valuable resources from the seabed.
Thus, small-scale traditional fishers from local communities may lose their customary access rights, and
this may adversely affect their livelihoods58. This kind of privatization of maritime areas at the benefice of
major economic actors supported by states (a seizure which takes place without the free, prior and
informed consent of local communities and without any intention of involving them, and which is not
necessarily healthy for the environment and for local employment) can be called ‘ocean-grabbing’.
58
Cf. Report A/67/268 by Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, 2012, § 40
and 61.
19
V. FIRST DIMENSION: WATER FOR HUMAN USE
Challenges
34. Access to drinking water can make the difference between survival and death or between survival
and various levels of wellbeing. Some societies, given the fact that they belong to areas where access to
and supply of water is considered obvious and taken for granted, demonstrate insufficient awareness and
compassion about the lack of water in other areas of the planet. The lack of adequate access to drinkable
water is, unfortunately, a daily and terrible reality for billions of people.
35. The human being needs very few litres of water per day in order not to die of thirst. Here,
however, reference is made more generally to water we use for drinking, cooking, washing clothes and
ourselves, and living a healthy life. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that with at least 50
litres of water per day per capita, available within no more than 100 metres from the users’ dwelling, there
are low risks to human health. These requirements could be optimally satisfied by being able to access 100
litres per day per capita, available locally59. Of course, ‘being able to access’ does not necessarily mean
that those 100 litres must be consumed daily by a single person; it is an indicative, broad measure intended
to guide government action.
36. While significant progress has been made in the last decade, approximately two billion people still
have inadequate access to drinking water60, which means irregular access, or access that is too far away
from their home, or access to polluted water, which is therefore not suitable for human consumption. Their
health is directly threatened. The situation is also dramatic in many migration transit areas and in many
refugee camps, where there are not adequate infrastructures and where the needs of the populations are
estimated in a particularly rough way.
37. In some cases, the wells from which water was traditionally drawn, often in rural areas, present the
following limitations:
 they dry up61 because of the rate of withdrawal which does not correspond to the regeneration
capacity of the resource (sometimes due to the increase in local population, with new inhabitants
and the demographic increase or with the sudden arrival of refugees62), or because of climate or
geological changes;
 they are abandoned when underground water becomes salty or manifestly polluted;
59
Cf. WHO, Domestic Water Quantity, Service, Level and Health, WHO/SDE/WSH/03.02, Geneva 2003.
60
Cf. UN Water, Sustainable Development Goal 6. Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation, May 2018.
61
Note that the risk of drying up also extends to lakes.
62
Cf. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR, the environment and climate change,
Updated version, Geneva October 2015, pp. 4-13.
20
 they are destroyed or in any case subject to violent contention in periods of drought, large-scale
migration and conflicts63, for “even local or regional wars, however limited, not only destroy
human life and social structures, but also damage the land, ruining crops and vegetation as well
as poisoning the soil and water”64;
 they are not always subject to regular water quality inspections.
38. Water infrastructures, due to inadequate maintenance and/or inadequate economic sustainability,
are abandoned, or access is not extended to all those who need it.
39. Many families are forced to buy water from informal vendors, which is often very expensive (in
relation to their modest income and compared to how much water supplied through a public distribution
network would cost) and subjected to price gouging. Moreover, they have no way of checking the quality
of the water they usually purchase from informal tank trucks.
40. Water policy at the national and international level often seems to be fragmented, and in some
cases access to drinking water and adequate sanitation for all, in a sustainable way and without
discriminations, are clearly not considered a priority by governments. Although access to safe drinking
water and sanitation was recognized as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly about ten
years ago65 – as already noted in § 15 – such recognition is often not materialised. Some countries that
have introduced this right in their constitutions or have adopted framework laws thereon have not
necessarily defined ways of guaranteeing human rights, have not implemented these ways, or have not
assessed the effectiveness of this implementation. Particularly poor populations risk not being able to pay
water bills or buy water. The removal of public fountains or their closure (for example in periods of
drought) may endanger the water supply of some poor groups. Another dramatic problem is represented by
cases of sexual exploitation for access to water: if authorities do not adequately protect citizens, it happens
that officials or technicians in charge of supplying water or reading the meters take advantage of their
position to blackmail people unable to pay for water (typically women), demanding sexual intercourse in
63
“In recent armed conflicts, states and non-state armed groups have destroyed and captured water installations.
Water supply systems fail: supply lines are deliberately sabotaged or water resources are poisoned to intimidate
civilians. Non-state armed groups capture dams and barrages, and use them to flood or starve downstream
populations to defeat them”, Global High-Level Panel of Water and Peace, Report A matter of Survival, Geneva
2017, p. 21.
64
Message for the World Day of Peace 1990, § 12.
65
Cf. Resolution A/RES/70/1 on the 2030 Agenda adopted on 25 September 2015, § 7; General Assembly
Resolution A/RES/64/292 on the human right to water and to sanitation adopted on 28 July 2010. The work of the
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is also very important. The CESCR published the
General Comment no. 15 on the Right to Water (E/C.12/2002/11) in 2003 and a Statement on the Right to Sanitation
(E/C.12/2010/1) was adopted in 2010. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child entered into force
in 1990, according to which “States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable
standard of health” and shall take appropriate measures to provide “nutritious foods and clean drinking-water, taking
into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution”. These three documents complement the
aforementioned Resolution 64/292.
21
order not to interrupt the supply. This type of abuse and corruption is called sextorsion in the water
sector66.
41. Furthermore, it should be noted that “waterborne diseases are linked to significant disease burden
worldwide. Waterborne diarrhoeal diseases, for example, are responsible for 2 million deaths each year,
with the majority occurring in children under 5”67. In some contexts, the issue of sanitation and defecation
is not given due attention, also because it is considered taboo. Still, this issue is closely related to water
pollution and human health. Statistics became more accurate in recent years, and it is estimated that
around two billion people have inadequate access to sanitation and hundreds of millions regularly practice
outdoor defecation68. Lack of sanitation facilities expose women to sexual abuse and rape when they have
to look for a place to defecate. Lack of adequate toilets for girls at schools keep many girls away from
school69. Both represent major gender bias against women and girls, ranging from lack of fairness to
harassment and crime.
42. Also, access to water for health centres and schools should not be taken for granted: numerous
voices from civil society and the United Nations have contributed to giving visibility to this aspect. In
what the United Nations considers low or middle income countries, only about 55% of health centres are
estimated to have access to water of adequate, constant quality, thanks to a distribution network or a
source of water located on the territory of the health centre; 19% do not have adequate sanitation; 35%
experience lack of basic hygienic procedures such as hand washing70. These are serious shortcomings,
which can have various causes (inadequate procedures and training, lack of economic resources, logistical
problems). They occur precisely in health centres, which are places where an acceptable level of hygiene
and facilities is expected, and very often they affect particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged people,
namely poor and sick populations in disadvantaged areas, or in-labour women, with obvious and serious
threats to their health.
43. Unfortunately, water is sometimes used as a means of pressure and blackmail as well, and even as
a weapon. Then, the hoarding of water resources (or the destruction of water towers) can become a tool to
remove specific communities from their territories.
66
SIWI, Women and corruption in the water sector. Theories and experiences from Johannesburg and Bogotá, Water
Governance Facility Report No 8, 2017.
67
WHO, https://www.who.int/sustainable-development/housing/health-risks/waterborne-disease/en/
68
Cf. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO, Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and
hygiene 2000-2017, Special Focus on Inequalities, New York 2019, p. 8.
69
“In 2016, one third of all primary schools lacked basic drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, affecting
the education of millions of schoolchildren, but particularly girls managing menstruation”, United Nations,
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg6
70
Cf. WHO and UNICEF, Water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities Status in low- and middle-income
countries and way forward, Geneva 2015; WASH in health care facilities: Global Baseline Report 2019, Geneva
2019; United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, The UNSGAB Journey, New
York 2015, p. 8.
22
44. We should also note the production, advertising and indiscriminate use of disposable plastic
bottles for drinking (water or other drinks). Surely, any pre-critical attack on plastic bottles is wrong,
especially in relation to contexts where drinking water is not readily available. However, we should
question the use of these bottles in countries that use them on a consolidated basis, despite being equipped
with a good water supply network and public fountains. The consumption of drinks from plastic bottles is
promoted by means of advertising messages, and advertising is often “a tool of the phenomenon of
consumerism”71. Such use of plastic bottles occurs to the detriment of the environment, the economy, and
human health, since the production and indiscriminate use of disposable plastic bottles contributes to
making our common home begin “to look more and more like an immense pile of filth”72. Furthermore,
some components in the structure of certain plastic bottles can have a pathological effect on human health,
in particular for the child in the mother’s womb and children73.
45. This leads us to finally reiterate a concern raised by numerous international organizations and
echoed by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace74 about some chemical substances, which have
negative side effects on the endocrine or hormonal system of the person. This system plays a crucial role
in maintaining the physiological equilibrium of the human body as well as in regulating body growth,
metabolism and sexual development and function. Endocrine active substances can be man-made,
including hormone substitutes; but they also occur in nature, for example as phytoestrogens which are
present in plants such as soya and nuts. They may behave similarly to human hormones or influence the
hormone levels in the body and thereby have effects on human health and organisms in the environment,
particularly at critical stages of their development75. The United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), the WHO, the European Parliament and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) among
others, have been concerned about the question of the so-called “endocrine disruptors” or “endocrine
disrupting chemicals” (EDCs). These are chemical substances that adversely alter the functionality of the
hormonal system. They come from various contexts, such as pesticides, cosmetics, combustion or
industrial process derivatives; but they can also be the effect of certain hormonal therapies and drugs, such
as the contraceptive pill. Their acting mechanism is still being examined, but the fact that they can
seriously threaten human health and reproduction through food is a source of concern for international
organizations76 and for some of the major environmental associations77.
71
Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Ethics in advertising, 1997, § 10.
72
Laudato si’, § 21; cf. WHO, Microplastics in drinking-water, Geneva 2019.
73
Cf. European Chemical Agency, Hot Topics on Bisphenol A, https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/bisphenol-a
74
Land and Food, p. 49.
75
Cf. EFSA, http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/121001a.htm.
76
Cf. WHO and UNEP, State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – 2012, 2013; EFSA Scientific
Committee, Scientific Opinion on the Hazard Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors: Scientific Criteria for
Identification of Endocrine Disruptors and Appropriateness of Existing Test Methods for Assessing Effects Mediated
by These Substances on Human Health and the Environment, 2013; European Union, Endocrine Disruptors: from
Scientific Evidence to Human Health Protection, Study commissioned by the PETI Committee of the European
Parliament, Updated version, May 2019.
23
46. This is a serious issue since human and wildlife health depends on the ability to reproduce and
develop normally. This is not possible without a healthy endocrine system. Alarmingly, many endocrine-
related diseases and disorders are on the rise, and numerous laboratory studies support the idea that
chemical exposures contribute to endocrine disorders in humans and in wildlife. Some EDCs-containing
sewage effluents (e.g. industrial waste, or substances washed down the drain or flushed down the toilet
into the sewage system) enter the environment untreated, while others receive some form of treatment
before reaching the aquatic systems. Once in the aquatic system, they can potentially affect both human
and wildlife. The most sensitive window of exposure to EDCs is during critical periods of development,
such as pregnancy, child growth and puberty. Wildlife populations have already been affected by
endocrine disruption, with negative impacts on growth and reproduction78, and a study commissioned by
the European Parliament stated that EDCs are present even in “drinking water. (…) This fact is confirmed
by biomonitoring studies (…) on susceptible subgroups such as pregnant women and children”79. Indeed,
the use of chemical products “can lead to bioaccumulation in the organisms of the local population (…).
Frequently no measures are taken until after people’s health has been irreversibly affected”80. Pope Francis
stated: “speaking of these damages that stem from environmental degradation, it is a surprise for me to
find – when I go to the Wednesday Audience or to parishes – so many sick people, especially children...
The parents say to me: ‘He has a rare illness!’ (…) These rare illnesses are the consequence of the sickness
that we inflict on the environment”81.
Operational proposals: awareness and advocacy

47. The Church, through her pastors, her episcopal commissions and other organisations,
congregations and lay associations, affiliated groups of experts and media at the local and national level,
can usefully build awareness and solicit an effective response from legal, economic, political leaders, as
well as individual citizens, about the following.
48. “Courageous policies should be promoted that are conceived with farsightedness and not
influenced by particular interests or enacted in an opportunistic way to obtain electoral success. Regarding
water, the world of politics should act in a responsible way and renounce immediate economic interests or
ideologies that end up degrading human dignity. Positive law must be founded on the principles of natural
moral law in order to guarantee respect for the dignity and value of the human person which can be
undermined if the right to water is not guaranteed and promoted. Therefore, laws and structures are needed
77
WWF, http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/toxics/.
78
Cf. State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – 2012, pp. vii-ix, 191-237.
79
Cf. Endocrine Disruptors: from Scientific Evidence to Human Health Protection, p. 11.
80
81
Address to the Participants in the international Conference “The culture of Salus and Hospitality at the Service of
Man and of the Planet”, 19 November 2015.
24
at the service of the right to water”82 and of the right to life. Pope Benedict XVI called “upon the Church
in Africa to encourage political leaders to protect such fundamental goods as land and water for the human
life of present and future generations”83, and his call can be applied also to other continents. The slogan
chosen by the United Nations for the World Water Day of 22 March 2019, “Leaving no one behind”, still
calls on each nation to guarantee everyone the water necessary for their healthy life and harmonious
integral human development.
49. “The Holy See and the Church are committed to promoting access to drinkable water for all”84 and
ready to cooperate with entities that sincerely share this commitment. The Dicastery asks that access to
drinking water for everyone without discriminations remain a top priority, taking as a reference a wide and
ambitious definition of its access: regular and constant access, in sufficient quantity to allow people at
least to live in dignity, and that it be accessible from the economic, legislative and physical standpoints.
Moreover, it should have all the characteristics of good water: colourless, odourless, and with a good taste.
Everything must be done in the most sustainable and equitable way for society, the environment and the
economy, while allowing citizens to seek, receive and share information about water.
50. The Magisterium of the Church acknowledges that “access to safe drinkable water is a basic and
universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of
other human rights”85. Thus, if there is a “right” not to be left behind on the road to development, then
access to water and sanitation must be a right that entails a “duty” not to leave anyone behind. This must
guide the actions of all including public and private decision-makers and consumers, lawyers, families and
the scientific community.
51. A primary and indispensable duty above all for the states (acting on their territories giving due
attention to regional collaboration and through the bodies of the international community, and controlling
and regulating the activities of the entire economic sector) must guarantee the right to safe drinking water
and sanitation, water for domestic uses, while caring for the environmental sustainability. The
accountability of states and all public administrations is fundamental, especially:
 in cases of large and rapidly expanding urbanizations or massive arrival of refugees (the situation
of migrants and refugees can be particularly difficult to monitor, and their needs are therefore
more difficult to estimate and satisfy; they deserve special care and concern);
 where they delegate the management of water service or the use of water to various players
including private ones;
82
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Water, an essential element for life. Designing sustainable solutions. An
83
Post-synodal Exhortation Africae munus, § 80.
84
Message on the occasion of the Conference “The Management of a common asset: access to drinkable water for
all” held at the Pontifical Urban University on 8 November 2018.
85
25
 in arid areas where a special resiliency of water supply systems and of water storage is deemed
necessary;
 in establishing rules and indicators to guarantee access to drinking water and sanitation for the
poorest sections of society, and guarantee access to justice for people if their right is trampled86;
 in considering as a priority “a just and fair distribution of health care facilities”87 and the long-
term financial sustainability of their water infrastructure for drinking and sanitation. “Prevention
is better than training, both because it spares the person the discomfort of suffering of illness,
and also because it spares society the costs of treatment, which are not just economic” 88. Note
that the Secretary General of the OECD eloquently wrote: “The benefits of improved water and
sanitation are massive. One dollar of investment in water and sanitation saves 4 to 12 dollars in
avoided health care costs alone”89;
 in considering a priority the purification of water before supplying it to the population; it must be
done with rigor wherever necessary, and represents a crucial area for research and innovation;
 in working in a spirit of prevention to drastically reduce the quantity and danger of the polluting
elements in water resources, thus helping the ecosystems to carry out their natural filtering
functions (an example of the so-called “nature-based solutions”90);
 in investing in the design and spread of adequate sanitation facilities that require little water for
use, where a shortage of water is detected or feared.
52. A duty of scientists, leaders in the field of technology and innovation, analysts and other
researchers91, who must honestly notify society and political leaders of the information and data they
acquire, for example, on water quality, water shortages, on health and on climate. Historical exploration of
climate variability shows how closely linked the professional water community needs to be to the climate
86
Cf. Report A/70/203 by Léo Heller, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to drinking water and
sanitation, 2015, § 35.
87
Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, New Charter for Health Care Workers,
translated and edited by the National Catholic Bioethics Center, United States of America 2017, § 142.
88
New Charter for Health Care Workers, § 67.
89
OECD, Meeting the Challenge of Financing Water and Sanitation. Tools and approaches, Foreword by Angel
Gurría, Paris 2011, p. 3.
90
Cf. United Nations World Water Assessment Programme, The United Nations World Water Development Report
2018. Nature-based solutions for water, Paris 2018.
91
“Let us just emphasize, in the more general field of scientific research, two attitudes which, it seems to us, should
characterize the scientist, and especially the scientist who is a Christian. On the one hand, he must honestly consider
the question of the earthly future of mankind and, as a responsible person, help to prepare it, preserve it, and
eliminate risks; we think that this solidarity with future generations is a form of charity to which a great many men
are sensitive today, in the framework of ecology. But at the same time, the scientist must be animated by the
confidence that nature has in store secret possibilities which it is up to intelligence to discover and make use of, in
order to reach the development which is in the Creator’s plan. This hope in the Author of nature and of the human
spirit, rightly understood, is capable of giving new and serene energy to the researcher who is a believer”, Saint Paul
VI, Address to the Participants of the Study week on “Biological and Artificial Membranes and Desalination of
Water”, 19 April 1975.
26
change community. Improving the collaboration between technical expertise, political decision-making
and social sciences is also a priority.
53. A duty of everyone to not waste water and moderate consumption. To transport, purify and
consume water costs and requires energy and it can be said that, at least in some cases, the amounts
required could be spent in a more useful way by helping the very poor in their integral development. Also,
it should not be forgotten that this energy is sometimes taken from regions that need it more 92. The Holy
See, therefore, has reaffirmed the importance of moderation in consumption of water and invoked the
responsibility of administrations, businesses and individual citizens for sobriety93.
54. It is possible “to go beyond mere pollution abatement and to seek to gain value from wastewater,
if for no other reason, as an additional means of paying for wastewater management and for enhancing the
economic sustainability of the system. However, wastewater management is already an important part of
several different resource cycles and is well-positioned to play a central role in the circular economy.
Using appropriately treated wastewater for agriculture and power generation enhances opportunities for
food and energy security, and can help alleviate the stresses brought about by increasing demand for
water. This will have positive repercussions on freshwater supplies, human and environmental health,
income generation (livelihoods) and poverty alleviation”94, while contributing to SDG 12. “Reusing
something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love
which expresses our own dignity”95.
55. Christian tradition has never recognized the right to private property as absolute and untouchable.
On the contrary, it has always understood this right within the broader context of the right common to all
to use the goods of the whole of creation. The right to private property is subordinated to the right to
common use, to the fact that goods are meant for everyone. Moreover, the Social Teaching of the Church
calls for recognition of the social function of any form of private ownership96. Nobody can sensibly claim
any ‘merit’ or ‘untouchable and absolute right over water’, since it was not created by us. It is a gift from
God the creator, a shared heritage of humanity, generation after generation, and a common good. Others
have also promoted the recognition of the ecological function of property, that is: any person with a right
to use water resources or land “has a duty to maintain the ecological functions and integrity of water
resources and related ecosystems”97. Consequently, any political and economic decision, as well as any
title of ownership, concession, contract, supply or even trading systems of water allocations must therefore
strive:
92
Cf. Laudato si’, § 51, 52.
93
Cf. Water, an essential element for life. Designing sustainable solutions. An update, A contribution of the Holy
See to the 6th World Water Forum held in Marseille in March 2012.
94
United Nations World Water Assessment Programme, The United Nations World Water Development Report
2017. Wastewater: The Untapped Resource, Paris 2017, p. 21.
95
96
Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 2404; Compendium of the Social Teaching of the Church, § 177 and 187.
97
Brasilia Declaration of Judges on Water Justice, 21 March 2018, principle 2.
27
 to ensure the universal destination of water, keeping in mind intergenerational solidarity;
 to maintain a primary and constant attention for the poorest and the marginalised, as well as for
the health and safety of women and girls;
 to respect human dignity by fulfilling the rights that stem from it, and to arbitrate between
conflicting uses for the same quantity or source of water according to a hierarchy of priorities
based on human dignity, taking due account of environmental ecology98 and the integrity of the
ecosystems which are essential for life on earth99;
 to respect the principle of subsidiarity, which implies for example, that as far as possible:
o local communities and indigenous peoples in remote areas must be able to manage these
infrastructures, to assess their own needs and availability of water, as well as to control its
quality, while also caring for the environment and for other neighbouring communities,
especially downstream ones;
o big and useful infrastructures that serve urban centres (supply, distribution, processing, etc.)
must be flanked and supported, wherever necessary, by smaller infrastructures, proportional
to the capacities and needs of local communities;
 to avoid elevating “limited interests of business”100 above the greater good (e.g.: the production
of sugary or carbonated beverages or any recreational use of water must not jeopardize the
available amount of water which is needed at the local level to the supply of drinking water for
human use);
 to adopt the interconnected approach proposed by the Encyclical Laudato si’, that is “integral
ecology”.
This can effectively contribute to human integral development and to the common good of the entire
human family, while facilitating the pursuit of numerous SDGs, inter alia 2, 6, 9, 11-16.
Operational proposals: commitment at local level

56. Furthermore, the Church should continue to give particular emphasis, at the local level and in light
of the principle of subsidiarity, to the following.
57. In all parishes, monasteries, schools, canteens, oratories and health centres, she should:
 guarantee access to drinking water and sanitation with systems that are as environmentally
friendly, efficient and compatible with the specific needs of users – men and women – as
possible;
98
Cf. Laudato si’, § 138-140.
99
Cf. SIWI, Water, forests, people – building resilient landscapes, Report no. 36, Stockholm 2015.
100
28
 verify hygienic procedures and offer advice on water savings and healthy and responsible
nutrition;
 abandon the use of disposable plastic bottles as far as possible and contribute to separate waste
collection;
 create public water access points where possible and in particularly needy areas;
 avoid food waste, especially recognizing that wasted food has been produced using water, energy
and work, and wastefulness “is the crudest form of discarding (…) To throw food away means to
throw people away. It is scandalous today not to notice how precious food is as a good, and how
so much good ends up so badly”101.
58. Inform citizens about the rights they enjoy in a particular country, especially the human right to
safe drinking water, helping them, if possible, to find justice in case access to drinking water for human
use is violated.
59. Involve more and more military chaplains in the struggle for human dignity. Saint John Paul II
wrote the following: “Military chaplains, inspired by Christ’s love, are called by their special vocation to
witness that even in the midst of the harshest combats, it is always possible, and only right, to respect the
dignity of the military adversary, the dignity of civilian victims (…). As Catholic military chaplains, in
addition to carrying out your specific religious ministry, you must not fail to make your contribution to
giving military staff an appropriate education in the values that motivate humanitarian law and make it not
merely a juridical code, but first and foremost an ethical code”102. The international humanitarian law
(especially the famous Geneva Conventions and the 1977 Protocols) encompasses several prohibitions
relating to the conduct of hostilities, which protect drinking water infrastructures and the access to
drinking water.
60. In the event of projects designed to ensure access to drinking water and/or sanitation in other
communities, whether urban, rural or peri-urban, combine efficiency, simplicity and the possibility of on-
site maintenance, and economic sustainability, urging the adoption of solidarity tools to guarantee
coverage of the costs of access to water for the poorest families.
61. Pay attention to the ‘human and relational dimension’ that surrounds the various projects relating
to access to drinking water and/or sanitation, with communities actively involved in the design,
management and maintenance of the systems, promoting, if relevant, the enhancement of ancestral
knowledge, the recourse to local culture, adequate consultations and training.
62. Pay attention to situations of particular need of girls and women, children, sick people, homeless
people, indigenous communities and ethnic minorities, migrants, refugees and itinerants, threatened
101
Francis, Address to members of the European Food Banks Federation, 18 May 2019; cf. General audience, 5
June 2013.
102
Message to the Military Chaplains on the occasion of an International Course for the Formation of Catholic
Military Chaplains to humanitarian law which took place in Rome, 24 March 2003, § 3.
29
minorities and victims of racism, prisoners, people with disabilities, and more generally to situations of
people likely to have some vulnerability or fragility. No Church organization should forget that, as Pope
Francis wrote, “an authentic option for the poor and the abandoned, while motivating us to liberate them
from material poverty and to defend their rights, also involves inviting them to a friendship with the Lord
that can elevate and dignify them. How sad it would be if they were to receive (…) a body of teachings or
a moral code, but not the great message of salvation, the missionary appeal that speaks to the heart and
gives meaning to everything else in life. Nor can we be content with a social message. If we devote our
lives to their service, to working for the justice and dignity that they deserve, we cannot conceal the fact
that we do so because we see Christ in them and because we acknowledge the immense dignity that they
have received from God, the Father who loves them with boundless love”103.
63. Maintain a symbolic vision of water, teaching others not to see water as pure matter or resource to
be exploited, but as the source of life of every living being. This is a constant value-related, spiritual,
cultural, educational and behavioural challenge, which must be pursued by insisting on solidarity and
responsibility for sharing a common good, on sobriety and on respect for water, avoiding negligence, and
this should also apply to cases where constant access to water for drinking or irrigation is cheap. “From its
symbolic value springs an invitation to be fully aware of the importance of [water], and consequently to
revise present patterns of behaviour”104.
64. Urge citizens and associations to participate, as far as possible, in water management policies, for
example through municipal or neighbourhood councils, and to monitor the quality and regularity of the
service provided.
103
Querida Amazonia, § 63.
104
Saint John Paul II, Message on the occasion of the World Food Day, 13 October 2002.
30
VI. SECOND DIMENSION: WATER AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Challenges
65. Water is used for numerous human activities such as irrigation for food and non-food purposes,
caring for animals, construction, crafts or industrial production of numerous goods in sectors including, for
example, metallurgy, textiles, electronics, generation of electricity, extraction of raw materials from the
subsoil, and also leisure. Below is a list of the main concerns of which the Church should become aware at
the local and national level. Note that all of them (alone or in a cumulative situation) seriously challenge
the resilience and the possibilities of adaptation to climate changes by families and communities whose
livelihoods are threatened and thus suffer the risk of poverty, instability and unwilling migrations.
66. The risk of unsustainability from an environmental point of view of the exploitation of water
resources is a challenge, such as:
 excessive collection or diversion of a part of the flow of a river that can contribute to the drying
up of an area, sometimes threatening its biodiversity and aquifers and its capacity of pollution
removal and also endangering the human activities that take place downstream and the same
possibility of collecting water for direct human use;
 salinization of some groundwater;
 deforestation and disappearance of wetlands that affect the water cycle and the ability of
ecosystems to purify water;
 particularly harmful pollutions that can affect plants and also animal and human health, such as
those caused by the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, by some sectors of food production,
by the fossil fuel (including offshore and fracking) and mining industry, both during the usual
operation of industries (especially if used water is not adequately treated) and on the occasion of
extraordinary incidents; note that pollution can be transferred from a country upstream to a
country downstream;
 unexpected and difficult to mitigate negative impacts on the course of rivers due to the
construction of dams;
 amount of water needed to produce what we eat, clothing, as well as the energy 105 and various
objects we consume, in the sense that some lifestyles can prove to be particularly demanding106.
67. Competition and rivalry between various uses of the same water are also a challenge. Reference is
made here to:
105
Cf. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Energy, Justice and Peace, LEV, Vatican City 2014, pp. 72, 73.
106
Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development,
Oeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones. Considerations for an ethical discernment regarding some aspects of the
present economic-financial system, 2018, § 33.
31
 the ratio of requirements (which may increase with demographic and urban growths, higher
standards of living, development of irrigation, the establishment of industries or the start of new
extractive resource projects, or which may decrease in the event of heavy emigration) and
available quantity (the latter may vary based on climate change or geological movements). This
is an important ratio since the advent and the prevalence of some uses of water (industrial
production, extraction of resources from the subsoil, hydroelectricity, agriculture, leisure) can
jeopardize the availability of water for drinking, local food security and the protection of
ecosystems;
 the ratio of the required quality (for specific irrigation or industrial purposes) and the locally
available filtering possibilities (some economic activities may not be able to cope with
increasing level of pollution affecting their water supplies);
 the cases in which no legislative framework establishes:
o the priority of human use over productive uses (agriculture, manufacturing, energy) and
recreational uses of water resources;
o as a priority the sustainable use of natural resources to ensure a healthy and abundant supply;
 the frequent weakness and sometimes absence of mechanisms of dialogue and consultation
(institutions, mediation tables, river contracts, agreements) about the same river or lake, when
states or communities refuse to cooperate;
 the ability or willingness of stakeholders to realistically quantify their needs and of authorities to
arbitrate equitably between the various uses and the various users of water;
 the awareness that, if competition escalates, the situation can become desperate and violent.
68. Inequality in the means of accessing water also represents a challenge.
 Firstly, we should consider the economic and technological means or possibilities. The global
agricultural sector, especially intensive crops that make use of numerous chemicals, is
responsible for various types of pollution that also contaminate water. Many small food
producers or fishermen, with very limited economic and technological resources and who are not
responsible for significant pollution, can see their activity devastated if other actors potentially
capable of causing serious pollution (including urban developments and factories) do not respect
the environment. The simple and cheap “filtration systems”107 they can use may become
insufficient if the quality of water they rely on for irrigation worsens. Prolonged droughts 108 and
107
Cf. FAO, On-farm practices for the safe use of wastewater in urban and peri-urban horticulture. A training
handbook for farmer field schools, Rome 2012, p. 23.
108
Droughts are a major threat since only about 20% of the world’s cultivated fields are irrigated, while the
remaining ones make do with rain.
32
floods put crops, livestock, income, and finally the peace and life of many people at risk. The
poorest often have no insurance to protect themselves in case of droughts or floods.
 Secondly, the ability (or inability) to obtain institutional support can also be a source of
inequality. One issue is that of asymmetry (in the ability to obtain and analyse information and
data, to mobilise jurists or other experts) occurring in many negotiations between actors
interested in the same source of water: typically, small rural or nomadic communities are less
influential and have less institutional support than the promoters of large economic projects. A
different issue is that of corruption, also mentioned later in this document (§ 107).
69. Further challenges are presented by the economic criticalities for development. Shortages of water,
old and inadequate water supply networks, damage and losses resulting from floods and droughts as well
as the damage caused by water pollution are serious obstacles to economic development. The following
criticalities should be considered.
 The inadequate flood planning and management practices. Floods are usually associated with
storms that release large volumes of rainwater in a relatively short period of time, carrying rocks,
trees, mud and other debris. They are caused and shaped by a combination of natural (e.g.
geology, tsunamis) and anthropogenic (e.g. deforestation, dam break) factors. The degradation of
ecosystem and, of course, climate variability contribute to a further increase in flood risks, a
concern which in many parts of the world is further exacerbated by inadequate flood planning
and management practices. “Each year, there are 50-300 inland floods worldwide, impacting an
estimated 520 million people and causing as many as 25.000 deaths”109. “The degree of
vulnerability to such natural hazards is high in developing countries where necessity tends to
force the poor to occupy the most vulnerable areas. The vulnerability of developed countries
increases with economic growth and the accumulation of property in flood-prone areas and in
highly urbanized settings”110.
 The inadequate management and control of pollution discharged in water bodies by human
activities.
 The inadequate anticipation of changes of water resources and needs in a context of climate
changes and urban growth, considering also the potential changes in availability of water
resources in downstream countries due to evolving withdrawals rhythms in upstream ones.

109
Associated Programme on Flood Management (APMF), a joint initiative of the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP), Community-based flood management, Integrated
flood management tool series issue 4, Switzerland 2017, p. 1.
110
APMF, Integrated flood management. Concept paper, Switzerland 2009, p. 6.
33
71. There is a strong link between social, human, economic, cultural and environmental ecologies111.
In particular, issues such as water, land, poverty alleviation, family life, nutrition and social development
are closely connected112. It is therefore appropriate that adequate attention is paid by the competent
authorities for: behavioural change and lifestyles; resilience of societies and economies; control and
prevention of pollution113; construction of dams; flood and drought prevention; the fight against
desertification114; storage and agricultural practices that retain and maintain adequate water in agricultural
land115; establishment of new industries (or in any case new production methods and new needs) and
consequent impact on the availability and wholesomeness of local water.
72. Farmers, artisans, breeders and fishermen who work trying to respect nature as much as possible
should be encouraged and supported – especially in low and middle income countries – by maintaining an
“integral vision” of workers, their family and the help they need, and ensuring policy incentives that
support these groups. This also includes the relation with water, that is: the ability to monitor collection
and the quality of the water used, the ability to use it soberly and effectively, the ability to prevent and
reduce pollution.
73. It is desirable and possible to coordinate the various riparian or coastal actors (from source to sea)
so as to drastically reduce the pollution of a river or a lake with a joint effort, thus allowing part of
biodiversity to be restored if it has been previously destroyed. This signals the importance of inclusivity
and solidarity to achieve sustainability.
74. Environmental impact studies – especially in the case of the most polluting industries – must be
developed responsibly and in consultation with the various stakeholders, and in the same way decisions
concerning possible risks for the quantity and quality of water must be based on sound, inclusive and
farsighted discernment. When promoting sobriety and responsible environmental impact studies, the
Dicastery is certainly not advocating for some kind of “sustainable and permanent minimal subsistence”;
this said, both integral human development and integral ecology require economic and environmental
aspects to be considered jointly.
75. State administrations must protect water resources and ensure their sustainable use, in solidarity,
reflecting the aforementioned ‘institutional value of water’ and the ‘value of water for peace’. The world
of judges and police officers, mayors and city administrators in particular must be adequately trained to
111
Cf. Laudato si’, chapter 4.
112
Cf. FAO, The state of the World’s land and water resources for food and agriculture, Rome 2011, p. 65.
113
Cf. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, The Economic Commission for Europe Water Convention
and the United Nations Watercourses Convention. An analysis of their harmonized contribution to international
water law, Water Series no. 6, Switzerland 2015, § 4.1-4.4.
114
Cf. Saint John Paul II, Homily in Ouagadougou, 10 May 1980; Appeal to humanity at the Palace of the Economic
Community of Western African States in Ouagadougou, 29 January 1990.
115
The aim of retaining, storing and reusing water is to make it available where and when there is water shortage.
34
deal with water disputes or threats and to identify and punish those responsible for serious pollution and
for corruption, for using water resources as a weapon of war or target of war. Moreover:
 “Respectable customs”116, ancestral, community and customary rights to access water must be
recognized and protected by national legal systems117. By ‘respectable’, it is here meant that
these old water rights should not infringe upon solidarity, human dignity, the universal
destination of water, and the human right to drinking water and sanitation.
 Any competitive uses for the same quantity or volume of water both inter and intra basin – as
already specified – must be arbitrated according to a hierarchy of priorities based on human
dignity and which considers the pursuit of the common good of the entire society, taking due
account of environmental ecology.
76. It is necessary to investigate how the concepts of ‘restorative justice’, ‘dialogue’, ‘prior, free and
duly informed consent’ and ‘precautionary principle’ relating to the issue of water can be applied in the
various countries and regions, and successively apply them.

77. Furthermore, the Church should continue to give particular emphasis, at the local level and in light
of the principle of subsidiarity, to the following.
78. Reduce the pollution generated in her properties and in the projects she manages. Adopt effective
and environmentally friendly water systems in her food-related projects, aiming to promote agricultural
production that matches the peculiarities and needs of the local context, and, as much as possible, without
polluting aquifers with fertilizers or pesticides.
79. Pastorally and spiritually accompany water-operators, fishermen and the people of the rural-
agricultural world, as well as slum-dwellers who can develop economic activities when their access to
water becomes sufficient.
80. Support the work of those teams – often of religious or ‘Justice and Peace’ promoters – who strive
to collect water samples and have them analysed in order to demonstrate that dangerous pollution is taking
place. This is sometimes risky work, which is however particularly necessary in areas where there are few
reliable public institutions.
81. Always live according to the preferential option for the poor, that is, when pertinent, not to limit
herself to being a neutral mediator, but take sides with those who suffer most, with those who are most in
difficulty, with those who have no voice and see their rights tramples or their efforts frustrated.
82. Commit herself to peace, dialogue and mediation, human rights in situations where conflicts are
expected or experienced.
116
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the modern world Gaudium et spes, § 69.
117
Cf. Brasilia Declaration of Judges on Water Justice, principle 3.
35
VII. THIRD DIMENSION: WATER AS SPACE
Challenges
83. Water can be considered here ‘as space’. About 70% of planet Earth is covered with water. The
surface water and underground aquifers exist in their own natural states, crossing sometimes the political
frontiers, thus limiting the effectiveness and applicability of policies and protective actions of a single
country that acts without consulting or not in accordance with others. Oceans in particular present a
complex situation in this regard: just think of the intense transnational commercial interactions and port
activities, fishing, tourist, and commercial routes, which are dedicated to the carrying of food, consumer
goods, and raw materials. Think of the deployment of cables in the oceans for data transfers and
communications. Moreover, the responsibilities of water management, discussed in the previous chapters,
also apply to the health of oceans118.
84. Below is a list of the many challenges that apply to water ‘as space’, which does not only separate
land masses but also connect them.
 The lack of assessment – from the point of view of integral ecology – of the following: seawater
desalination, the production of energy from currents, the utilization of fish resources119 (fishing
or aquaculture), of seabed resources (including minerals and hydrocarbons, potentially
extractable even where the ice is melting in the Arctic area), and of other resources, such as salt
and algae.
 The increasing pollution and degrading conditions of oceans, in particular as regards the
presence of plastics and microplastics in marine flows and animal organisms (thus in seafood),
the multiple pollutions (caused by ships, offshore, undersea and land activities, including mining,
drilling, and exploratory actions of the extractive industries), discharge of industrial and sewage
pollutants and agricultural chemicals through rivers, the acidification of oceans and warming
factors120.
118
“An out-of-sight out-of-mind mentality allows us to flush toxic waste and mine tailings into our rivers and seas in
the mistaken belief that they can no longer harm us. Because the living world is interconnected, the poison is
absorbed by marine organisms. We in turn are gradually being poisoned when we eat seafood”, Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines, Pastoral Letter What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land?, 29 January 1988.
119
“Based on FAO’s monitoring of assessed stocks, the fraction of fish stocks that are within biologically sustainable
levels has exhibited a decreasing trend from 90.0 percent in 1974 to 66.9 percent in 2015. In contrast, the percentage
of stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels increased from 10 percent in 1974 to 33.1 percent in 2015, with
the largest increases in the late 1970s and 1980s. (…) Linking the catch pattern with stock status is not
straightforward. In general, an increasing trend in catch usually suggests an improving stock status or an expansion
in fishing intensity, whereas a decreasing trend is more likely to be associated with declines in abundance or with
management measures that are either precautionary or aimed at rebuilding stocks. However, many other factors may
also contribute to a decreasing catch, such as environmental changes and market conditions. Productivity and stock
status also vary greatly among species”, FAO, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018, Rome, pp. 39-41.
120
“Carbon emissions from human activities are causing ocean warming, acidification and oxygen loss with some
evidence of changes in nutrient cycling and primary production. The warming ocean is affecting marine organisms at
multiple trophic levels, impacting fisheries with implications for food production and human communities. (…) The
ocean has warmed unabated since 2005, continuing the clear multi-decadal ocean warming trends documented in the
36
 The intensifying endangerment and extinction of marine species (due to pollution or destructive
fishing practices and overharvesting that do not allow the regeneration of some species) and the
depletion of corals, sea kelp, mangroves and other habitats. Many concerns have also been raised
about noise pollution harming marine wildlife. Besides the damage to ecosystems and loss of a
common heritage to current and future generations, the loss of marine biodiversity leads to losses
to the coastal economies, fisheries, and jobs.
 The fact that countries with poor economic and logistical capacities are unable to adequately
manage and patrol their territorial waters, while fishing fleets from other nations scour away
their fisheries.
 The sea level rise resulting from global warming121 with threats on coastal habitats and aquifers.
The encroachment of seas on coasts can jeopardize homes and other buildings, freshwater
resources, fishing habitats and agriculture.
 The need to properly demarcate and guard the maritime areas that enjoy various types of
protection.
 The situation of migrants, whose journeys on the seas also take place in violent and desperate
conditions.
 The incessant maritime crime, which threatens the security of peoples. We should keep in mind
that piracy and human trafficking, which Pope Francis calls an atrocious scourge, an abhorrent
plague and an open wound on the body of contemporary society122, are continuing, as well as
migrant smuggling, illegal fishing, illegal trafficking of drugs, protected animals, weapons and
counterfeit goods. Moreover, cyberattacks on shipping can also be expected since “the maritime
traffic becomes increasingly reliant on automated technology and interconnectivity”123.
 The tensions between states disagreeing on their respective naval borders (several maritime
boundaries are disputed, this may apply also to some major transboundary lakes), and
geopolitical tensions occurring in numerous coastal and maritime areas, in which the countries
concerned feel the need to show their strength and their determination through the deployment of
new military bases, warships, missile demonstrations.
IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. The warming trend is further confirmed by the improved ocean temperature
measurements over the last decade”, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Special Report The Ocean
and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, 2019, p. 450.
121
“Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming: the added water from melting ice
sheets and glaciers and the expansion of seawater as it warms”, NASA, https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/
122
Cf. Message to the participants in the OSCE human trafficking Conference held in Vienna, 3 April 2017; Angelus,
30 July 2017; Address to the participants in the International Conference on Combating Human Trafficking, 10
April 2014.
123
United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence, Global Strategic Trends. The Future Starts Today, 6th edition, 2018, p.
52.
37
 The working and living conditions of port workers, fishermen124 and seafarers (who in many
cases remain confined, for many consecutive months, on ships away from their family and
communities of origin), construction or demolition ship workers (for reasons of economy, the
demolition of ships often takes place in areas where human rights, worker safety and the
environment are less protected), and poor coastal communities.
 The ethical, economic and ecologic implications of the extension of some seaside cities over the
waves. This represents an expensive and delicate engineering challenge, which, at least in certain
cases, seems to be the result of a risky and luxurious project, since at the same time there is no
will to face the poverty of millions of people who live in that same area.
 The coexistence of or competition between different fishing methods: on the one hand, some
fishing methods are practiced intensively, using particularly destructive devices for biodiversity;
on the other hand, other methods involve small scale traditional fishing by local communities.
Many therefore are the factors that make Pope Francis fear “the threats caused by unjust management of
our seas and criminal manipulation of maritime industries”125.

86. What we need is “an increasingly interdisciplinary and dialogical approach”126 in subsidiarity and
justice. Given the challenges analysed above, the management of water ‘as space’ is not possible with
compartmentalised approaches. Collaboration between ministries and countries as well as elements of civil
society – including that of religious groups, businesses and corporations, and scientific, environmental,
and human rights organizations – is more relevant and necessary than ever, bilaterally or multilaterally and
in particular, through international law and agreements and specialised organisations at work with the
entire community of nations when it comes to the deep seas, high seas, and polar regions of the ocean.
87. These common international regions and resources of the ocean are an inheritance that must be
protected and passed on to future generations. “The area of the seabed and ocean floor and the subsoil
thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, as well as its resources, are the common heritage of
mankind”127. Such an inheritance must be protected and passed on to future generations. The ‘area’ in
124
“Large industrial fishing companies run the risk of losing contact with the fishermen and their personal and family
needs”; Saint John Paul II, Address to the Fishing community, Newfoundland, 12 September 1984.
125
Message sent to the Conference “The common good on our common seas” held on 3 to 5 May in Copenhagen, 16
April 2019.
126
Francis, Message sent to the Conference “The common good on our common seas” held on 3 to 5 May in
Copenhagen, 16 April 2019.
127
United Nations, Convention on the Law of the Sea, Preamble. Cf. also articles 136-138 of the Convention.
38
question cannot become a source of income only for those who have the technology to exploit it, however
easily they may escape the necessary controls because of the areas being extraterritorial. No nation or
corporation can appropriate or manage this common inheritance in a specific, individual or sovereign
capacity, hoarding its resources, trampling under foot international law, avoiding the obligation to
safeguard it in sustainable ways and to make it accessible to future generations and ensure the survival of
life on Earth, our common home.
88. This concern for the common heritage of mankind should inspire the contributions that states offer
internationally:
 in the case of seabed, as the International Seabed Authority,
 in the case of navigation, as the International Maritime Organisation, and
 in the case of trade and fishing, as the FAO, the World Trade Organisation, the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, and the SDG 14.
89. The protection of the seas and the people who work there or who transit on them require an
articulated governance proportional to the complexity and the vastness of the challenges, with the
contribution of all governments, especially as regards management of pollution, the fight against crime,
illegal and unsustainable fishing, slavery at sea, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
90. Fishermen who carry out their work avoiding pollution, respecting the regulations in force, and
limiting the waste of fish must be protected. This requires, on the one hand, an adequate and integral
support for the entire supply chain (fishing, cleaning, conservation, etc.), taking care also of men and
women who work on the ground. On the other hand, a constant effort to combat harmful fishing methods,
unsustainable catch limits, illegal fishing, the invasion of the waters of countries with poor patrolling
capabilities by fleets from other countries.
91. Fishermen must be encouraged and allowed to bring the garbage collected from the sea to the
ports and a special collection service must be organised, thus expanding their traditional vocation (fishing)
to embrace the stewardship of the sea (contributing to its cleaning).
92. The human rights of all workers at sea, as well as those in the entire naval sector, including the
people who deal with the disposal of ships, must be protected. A greater recognition and formalisation of
the rights of these workers now seems inevitable and should not be delayed. Seafarers must be granted
long enough periods on land to be with their family without losing their jobs, and they must be allowed to
have access to medical treatment or religious assistance.
93. Ocean industries, related businesses and consumers must do their part, namely:
 the entire shipbuilding industry needs to mobilize to help reduce pollution of oceans;
 transparency and traceability in the seafood sources and in the movement of fishing fleets need
improvement, for this can contribute to the stewardship of maritime areas, to the fight against
39
slavery in fisheries, and gives to the consumers additional choices to use their pocketbook for
ethics.
94. The situation of people in need at sea, especially if astray or victims of crime, must be diligently
addressed, with responsibility and solidarity. Support must be offered, and where necessary and possible,
reintegration into society must be facilitated.

95. Furthermore, the Church can continue to give particular emphasis, at the local level and in the
light of the principle of subsidiarity, to the following.
96. Strengthen the Apostleship of the Sea / Stella Maris128, as a pastoral service offered to fishermen,
seafarers, maritime personnel, and port workers.
97. Disseminate the Pastoral orientations on human trafficking published by the Migrants and
Refugees Section of the Dicastery in 2019.
98. Celebrate and give greater visibility to anniversaries (Sea Sunday, World Fishing Day, local
celebrations) or to sanctuaries (Notre Dame de Rocamadour) connected to seas and oceans.
99. Avoid the use of disposable plastic objects, wherever possible, in her facilities and activities.
100. Contribute, as much as possible, to the cleaning of beaches or river banks, organising these
activities or associating with those who organise them (taking advantage of the works and skills available
locally such as groups of conservationists who work on the seaside, aquariums, fishing communities, etc.),
involving for example groups of young people, families, religious people and scouts.
101. Facilitate the outdoors, hands-on studying of ocean issues and participation in coastal restoration
projects in Catholic schools at all levels.
102. Contribute as much as possible to avoiding and reducing pollution from riparian and coastal
parishes, schools, canteens, and health centres.
128
Cf. Saint John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Stella Maris on the maritime apostolate.
40
VIII. EDUCATION AND INTEGRITY
103. By a way of concluding Aqua fons vitae, the Dicastery reaffirms that we need “a more open and
inclusive education, including patient listening, constructive dialogue and better mutual understanding”129.
Education for a new humanism and for a culture of encounter and collaboration
about water
104. Education must be at the service of a “full-bodied humanism”130, in which the person is willing to
talk and work for the realization of the common good. “A humanized education, therefore, does not just
provide an educational service, but deals with its results in the overall context of the personal, moral and
social abilities of those who participate in the educational process. It does not simply ask the teacher to
teach and students to learn, but urges everyone to live, study and act in accordance with the reasons of
fraternal humanism. It does not aim to create division and divergence, but rather offers places for meeting
and discussion to create valid educational projects. It is an education – at the same time – that is sound and
open”131, that pulls down the walls of exclusion, promoting the richness and diversity of individual talents
and extending the classroom to embrace every corner of social experience in which education can generate
solidarity, sharing and communion.
105. We must educate others and educate ourselves:
 in “gratitude and gratuitousness, a recognition that the world is God’s loving gift, and that we are
called quietly to imitate his generosity in self-sacrifice and good works”132;
 in ecological education and habits, undertaking the path of an ecological conversion133 aiming at
restoring harmony with God, with the others, with nature and within ourselves;
 in the contemplation of all forms of water, avoiding a merely utilitarian mindset, since the
contemplation of creation – whose individual creatures reflect a ray of the infinite wisdom and
goodness of God – can teach us valuable lessons and be an unending source of inspiration134 and
of humility. We have limits135 since “we are not God. The earth was here before us and it has
been given to us. (…) By virtue of our unique dignity and our gift of intelligence, we are called
to respect creation and its inherent laws”136.
129
Francis, Message for the launch of the Global Compact on Education, 12 September 2019.
130
Saint Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum progressio, § 42.
131
Cf. Congregation for Catholic Education, Guidelines Educating to fraternal humanism, 2017, § 7 and 10.
132
133
Cf. Laudato si’, chapters 4 and 6; Querida Amazonia, § 58-60; Message for the World Day of Peace 1990, § 13;
Message for the World Day of Peace 2020, § 4; Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 17 January 2001.
134
Cf. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Letter on behalf of the Holy Father to the “Our Ocean” Conference held in October
2017 in Malta, 27 September 2017.
135
Cf. Caritas in veritate, § 68; Spe salvi, § 25.
136
Laudato si’, § 67-69.
41
 in living in sobriety137, for sobriety, when lived freely and consciously, is liberating, and pertains
to the meaningful small gestures of mutual care in our daily life, spreading a ‘culture of care’
which permeates all of society138. Pope Benedict XVI, commenting on the personality and
mission of Saint John the Baptist according to Mark’s Gospel, observed the following: “Starting
with his external appearance, John is presented as a very ascetic figure: he was clothed in camel-
skin and his food was locusts and wild honey that he found in the Judaean desert (cf. Mk. 1:6).
(…) John the Baptist’s style must remind all Christians to opt for a lifestyle of moderation (…).
With regard to John’s mission, it was an extraordinary appeal to conversion: his baptism ‘is
connected with an ardent call to a new way of thinking and acting, but above all with the
proclamation of God’s judgment’139 (…). John’s appeal therefore goes further and deeper than a
lifestyle of moderation: it calls for inner conversion, based on the individual’s recognition and
confession of his or her sin. (…) it is important that we re-enter into ourselves and make a
sincere examination of our life. Let us permit ourselves to be illuminated by a ray of light that
shines from Bethlehem, the light of the One who is ‘the Mightiest’ who made himself lowly, ‘the
Strongest’ who made himself weak”140. Let us remind that Pope Francis, quoting Patriarch
Bartholomew, wrote: “to commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and
a sin against God”141.
 in “education to social life”142 and in a culture of encounter and relationship143, that is not just
hearing but listening, not just passing people by but stopping with them, not just connecting but
sharing our hope, our dreams and sufferings, our vision, our culture and our memory while
explaining our roots and origins144, and especially sharing our time. Time is greater than space,
and “giving priority to time means being concerned about initiating processes”145, about
consolidating truth, and accepting the fact that a real encounter is not mere tourism, it implies a
real presence and takes time: time to know each other, time to share a journey, “to weave bonds
of belonging and togetherness”146. It is not easy. It implies deconstructing our own fears,
accepting our limits, and even gaining a better knowledge of ourselves, “but if we do it for the
sake of helping others, we can have the magnificent experience of setting our differences aside
and working together for something greater. If, as a result of our own simple and at times costly
137
Cf. Titus 2: 12.
138
Cf. Laudato si’, § 22, 223 and 231.
139
Jesus of Nazareth, I; English translation, Doubleday, New York 2007, p. 14.
140
Angelus, 4 December 2011.
141
142
Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace 2020, § 2.
143
Evangelii gaudium, § 220; Francis, Address during the meeting with the Brazil’s leaders of society in Rio de
Janeiro, 27 July 2013, § 1.
144
Cf. Francis, post-synodal Exhortation Christus vivit, § 179-181, 184, 186 and 191.
145
Evangelii gaudium, § 223.
146
42
efforts, we can find points of agreement amid conflict, build bridges and make peace for the
benefit of all, then we will experience the miracle of the culture of encounter”147. “The world
does not need empty words but convinced witnesses, peacemakers who are open to a dialogue”
148
: starting a dialogue, in continuity, for healthy national and local policies and forging a
stronger sense of community will benefit the whole society149. Water is a fabulous element with
which to build such relational bridges among people, communities, and countries. It can and
should be a learning ground for solidarity and collaboration rather than a trigger of conflict.
 “in compassion, solidarity, working together, fraternity, in being active within the community
and concerned to raise awareness about national and international issues and the importance of
seeking adequate mechanisms for the redistribution of wealth, the promotion of growth,
cooperation for development and conflict resolution. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
be called sons of God’, as Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5: 9)”150.
106. Catholic Universities can play a fundamental role (teaching, training, researching) with regard to
water-related challenges. They should engage in this fight with their faculties and departments, including
theology, philosophy and the Social Teaching of the Church; social sciences and humanities; business;
architecture; communications; management; agriculture and environmental studies; sustainable and
equitable development; natural sciences; medicine; law; and the teaching of interdisciplinary problem
analysis as well as the development of solutions to safeguard human dignity and to care for our common
home. Master and special programs in these fields can be created or strengthened; startups of students and
associations of students can also be involved in this fight. The continuous education and the pastoral care
of political leaders, diplomats, functionaries, business leaders and investors – in particular in the fields of
microcredit and of faith-consistent investments – represent a priority area.
Fighting against corruption and violence about water

107. An education rooted in values is also a strong prophylaxis and remedy against water-related
corruption: “one of the most lacerating wounds of the social fabric, as it gravely harms both from an
ethical and an economic point of view (…) impoverishes everyone, removing trust, transparency and
reliability from the whole system”151. Mafia collusions and bribery occur everywhere, even in the most
industrialised countries where public officials should have access to excellent training. “Corruption is not
a vice limited to political life. There is corruption in politics, there is corruption in the business world,
there is corruption in the communications media, there is corruption in the churches, but also there is
147
Francis, post-synodal Exhortation Christus vivit, § 169.
148
Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace 2020, § 2.
149
Cf. Laudato si’, § 35.
150
Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Peace 2012, § 5.
151
Francis, Address to officials of the Italian Court of Auditors, 18 March 2019.
43
corruption in the social organizations and popular movements”152 stated Pope Francis. Cases of corruption
also occur within the authorities in charge of monitoring compliance with the law, organizing bids for
contracts, assessing the seriousness of the impact studies of the various initiatives153, assessing the quality
of infrastructure and managing the money devoted to its maintenance, approving concessions or receiving
complaints from the population. Individuals, sometimes under some kind of pressure from their peers or
their hierarchy, give in to the temptation to make easy money, renouncing integrity and service of the
common good. In situations of corruption, the voice of the poorest, the marginalised, the abused is
dispersed without being heard or it is violently cut off, while wealthy and domineering businessmen and
entrepreneurs get institutional support and a semblance of legality even when hoarding water resources or
when polluting seriously. In some extreme circumstances, individuals and communities defending their
environmental and land rights are threatened. Human rights defenders and conservationists with their
families frequently face violence – “including killings and sexual violence, smear campaigns, and other
forms of intimidation”154.
108. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Transparency International have
studied examples of corruption in the water sector in many areas: the water supply (both among public and
private operators) and sanitation sector, the irrigation sector, water resources management and the
hydropower sector155. “Funds for construction of water projects are diverted. Lax compliance with and
enforcement of water quality regulations can also be related to corruption. (…) Curbing corruption is
difficult because it is not manifested solely in the illegal or unethical behaviour of some criminal officials.
Instead, corruption is often systematic and institutionalized”156. This only makes the role of education
more important, and the testimony about exemplarity and integrity more needed. The Holy Father wrote:
“Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. (…) When God
speaks to Abraham, he tells him: ‘I am God Almighty, walk before me, and be blameless’ (Gn. 17:1)”157.
This call should also enlighten the vocation, the work and the training of all those who, at any level, are
involved in water governance.
152
Francis, Address to the participants in the 3rd world meeting of popular movements, 5 November 2016.
153
Cf. Laudato si’, § 14, 177-181.
154
UNEP, Press release, 16 August 2019, https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/unep-
unhuman-rights-office-sign-new-agreement-stepping-commitment
155
Cf. UNDP, Fighting corruption in the water sector. Methods, tools and good practices, New York, October 2011,
pp. 19-24; Transparency International, Corruption in the Water Sector. Report 2018, Cambridge University Press,
June 2008.
156
Fighting corruption in the water sector. Methods, tools and good practices, p. 9.
157
Gaudete et exsultate, § 14 and 51.
44
IX. REFERENCES FROM THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE
CHURCH
109. The following selection includes only a limited number of documents published before 2004, since
these documents are well referenced in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, a tool
whose use and study has been heartily recommended by Pope Francis in 2013. The recurrent Pontifical
Messages (for Lent, for the World Day of Peace, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the World Day
of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the World Day of the Sick, the World Day of the Poor, the World Food
Day) have not been included.
Human dignity, freedom, human rights and duties: Saint John Paul II, Redemptor hominis § 17;
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church § 132-148,
152-159, 199, 200, 301-303 (from now on, Compendium).
Authentic development, integral human development: Saint Paul VI, Populorum progressio § 14-20;
Benedict XVI, Caritas in veritate § 17-19, 29.
Common good: Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church § 164-167, 170; Caritas in veritate § 7.
Solidarity: Saint John Paul II, Sollicitudo rei socialis § 38-45; Compendium §192-196, 309; Caritas in
veritate § 58; Francis, Misericordiae vultus § 15.
Subsidiarity, participation and democracy: Compendium § 149, 185-191, 419; Caritas in veritate § 47,
57; Francis, Evangelii gaudium § 61, 222-237; Id., Laudato si’ § 228-232; Id., Querida Amazonia § 27.
Universal destination of goods and the social function of property: Catechism of the Catholic Church,
§ 2402-2406; Compendium § 171-181; Evangelii gaudium § 189; Laudato si’ § 93-95.
Preferential option for the poor: Sollicitudo rei socialis § 47; Compendium § 182-184; Evangelii
gaudium § 198-200.
Justice: Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1807; Compendium § 201-203.
Responsibility of states and of political leaders: Saint Paul VI, Octogesima adveniens, § 46;
Compendium § 168, 169, 384-389, 393-395, 407-409, 417, 418.
Connections between Faith and social commitment: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the modern
world Gaudium et spes § 1-4; Redemptor hominis § 14; Compendium chap. 2; Benedict XVI, Deus
Caritas est § 12-39; Id., Sacramentum caritatis § 89-92; Francis, Lumen Fidei § 51; Evangelii gaudium §
177-196, 267; Misericordiae Vultus § 8, 15; Francis, Gaudete et exsultate § 101.
Coherent interconnectedness, integral ecology: Caritas in veritate § 30, 51; Laudato si’ chap. 4.
Moderation, sobriety and temperance: Catechism of the Catholic Church § 1809; Compendium § 486;
Benedict XVI, Angelus, 4 December 2011; Laudato si’ § 222-225.
Conversion, inner transformation of the human person: Compendium § 42; Laudato si’ § 216-221.
45
© 2020 Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
00120 Vatican City
www.humandevelopment.va
info@humandevelopent.va

Aqua Fons Vitae - 03 2020

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INITIAL MEDITATION ..........................................................................................................................2

PRESENTATION AND PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT ................................................................4

A religious value ....................................................................................................................................13

Laudato si’ (Praise be to you) our Creator God!

Laudato si’ our Creator God!

Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson

Mons. Bruno-Marie Duffé

 the development of irrigated industrial agriculture, the production of energy, economic

 water for human use;

 whether or not Bishops can easily dialogue with public administrations;

o other Christian denominations or even other religions, since:

 it is therefore particularly meaningful, for believers, to cooperate in the case of

A socio-cultural and aesthetic value

An institutional value and a value for peace

Clarifications about the so-called privatization of water

 environmental sustainability is disregarded;

 public control is absent or inadequate;

 there is a lack of transparency, of accountability, and access to justice is not granted;

 they are not always subject to regular water quality inspections.

Operational proposals: awareness and advocacy

Operational proposals: commitment at local level

 salinization of some groundwater;

 the cases in which no legislative framework establishes:

68. Inequality in the means of accessing water also represents a challenge.

Operational proposals: awareness and advocacy

Operational proposals: commitment at local level

Operational proposals: awareness and advocacy

 in the case of seabed, as the International Seabed Authority,

 in the case of navigation, as the International Maritime Organisation, and

Operational proposals: commitment at local level

105. We must educate others and educate ourselves:

Fighting against corruption and violence about water

Justice: Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1807; Compendium § 201-203.

00120 Vatican City

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